Explosive-engine-cranking device.



c. B. BEST.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE GRANKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1911 1,040,495. 7 Patented 0011.8,1912.

I 8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@314. ,2; 2 m 26 IIIIIIII' Elmo/whoa 0. E. BEST, EXPLOSIVE ENGINE GRANKING DEVICE.

I APPLICATION TILED MAR.20. 1911. I 1,040,495. Patented 0ct.8,1912;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CHARLES E. BEST, OF CANTON, OHIO.

EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE-CRANKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed March 20,- 1911. Serial 'No. 615,469.

To all alt/mm it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BEST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of .Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Explosive Engine Cranking Devices, of which the following is a specification.

1 Thisinvention relates to hand operated devices for starting internal combustion or explosive gas engines, the pistons of which must ordinarily be moved to compress the explosive charge to effect the-internal explosion and start the automatic operation of the engine. Such'engines are operated ordinarily byifmeans of a crank, lever or the like applied to the engine crank-shaft or other "shaft run by the engine.

The crank lever 01' like appliance is operated by hand during which operation it frequently hap ens that the charge is fired prematurely, owing to v arious causes such for instance as a faulty igniter or overheating of the cylinder, thereby, causing a sudden reverse or backward rotation of the engine shaft such sudden and violent rotation of the engine shaft, if imparted to the starting crank oivdevice when the operator is exerting pressure thereon to bring about the forward rotation of the engine shaft, is very liable to and frequently does injure the operator. i

The objects of my present invention are to provide a desirable device by means of which the engine-shaft can be rotated forwardly to start the engine, but is positively prevented f 'c-m taking any part in the reverse rotation of the engine-shaft, in the event of a premature explosion, and further to construct the starting device so that it will be thrown out of action by. the forward action of the engine-shaft, after the engine has been started. These objectstogether with other objects readily apparent to those skilled in the art I attain by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, although my invention may be embodied in a variety of other mechanicalv forms, the construction illustrated being chosen by way of example.

In the accompanyin drawingsFi ure 1 is a side elevation slowing the di erent parts properly assembled showing the in closed casein section. Fig. 2 is a detached view of the driving gear and its clutch member. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the releasing pawl. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the key pawl. Fig. 5 is a detached view of the rotatable cage showing the releasing pawl connected thereto. Fig. '6 is a detached perspective view of they crank shaft notched disk. Fig. 7

is 'a .view showing a portion of the cage housing, the cage, the releasing pawl and key pawl showing said pawls in position when the engine starts backward by premature explosion or whatis commonly known as back fire. Fig. 8 is a vertical section showing the parts in the same position as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 8-8, Fig. 8.

.Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings. I

1n the accompanying drawings, 1 represents the base which is attached to the automobile frame or body at such -a place that the cranking devices will be in proper relative-position with reference to the engine shaft 2 and to which shaft connection is made to manually compress the explosive discharge to effect the initial explosionby means of the crank 3 and intermediatemechanism between said crank and the engineshaft 2. The base 1 is provided with the spaced supports at and 5, which are prefer- Patented Oct. 8, 191

ably formed integral with the base, but said supports can be made separate from the base and attached in any convenient andwell known manner.

In the support 5 is journaled the hollow shaft 6, which hollow shaft is provided with the recesses 7, which recesses are for the purpose of receiving the pin 8, which pin isfixed to the engine shaft 2. The engine shaft coupling devices are of the usual construction -and form no specific part of the present invention. It will be understood that some means must be provided to temporarily and rotatably connect the hollow shaft 6 and the engineshaft 2 together so that they may be rotated in unison when it is desired to operate the crank to start the engine. \Vithin the hollow shaft (3 is located a portion of the crank shaft 9, which crank shaft is journaled in the support el and a ortion of the hollow shaft mounted upon said crank shaft.

Upon the crank shaft 9 is loosely mounted wheel 14 fixed tot-he hollow shaft 6. When it is desired to actuate the engine-shaft 2 to start the engine the crank shaft '9 is slipped endwise and toward the engine-shaft 2, thereby rotatably connecting the'hollow shaft 6 with the engine shaft 2. When force is'applied to the crank 3 to rotatethe shaft '9 the releasing pawl 15 and the key pawl 16 are in the positions shown in Fig. 9 and in which position the rib 17 upon the key pawl 16 is seated in one of the notches 18 and 19 formed in the disks 2() and 21,-thev disk 20 being securely mounted upon the crank shaft 9 and the disk 21 being fixed to or connected with the gear wheel 10 and is also loosely mounted upon the crank shaft 9.

It will be understood that when the rib 17 is seated in the proper grooves 18 and 19, the disks 20 and 21 will be rotatably connected together, but it will be understood that the notches 18 and 19 or two of them, one upon each disk mustbe brought into alinement with each other so that the rib or coupling key 17 Ican and will rotatably connect the two disks 20 and 21 together and when soconnected together'rotary motion will be imparted to the gear wheel 10, which in turn imparts rotary motion to the gear-wheel 11, vthe shaft 12, the gear wheel 13 and the gear wheel 14,.and by reason of the gear wheel 11 being fixed to the hollow shaft 6 rotary motion will be imparted to said hollow shaft 6. lVhen 'the parts are inthe position show'n in Fig. 9 the crank 9 can be actuated in the direction to start the engine. I

Upon the hollow shaft 6 is fixedly mounted the disk or wheel 22 to which disk or wheel is attached the ring or housing 23,

the inner periphery of which housing or ringis provided with the ratchet teeth21. If in the event a premature explosion of the engine takes place while the crank is being actuated to start the engine, such backward. movement will impart a backward movement to the hollow shaft 6 and in turn to theflwheel or disk 22 and such backward movement will rock the releasing pawl 15 upon its pivotal point 25, owing to the fact that when a backward movement of the ring 23 takes place the tooth adjacent a the pointed end'of the releasing pawl will engage said pointed end and rock it or in other words carry said pawl into such' a position that its pointed endwill be seated into a recess between two adjacent teeth 24 and bring said pawl. into the position illustrated in 'Fig. 7 and when brought into that position the rounded end 26 of the releasing pawl 15 will press the tall 27 of the key pawl 16, thereby rocking said key pawl 16 upon its pivotal point 28 and lifting the rib 17 out of the notches-18 and 19,thereby disconnecting the crank-shaft 9 from the hollow shaft 6 and when so disconnected any backward motion of the engine will not be connnumcated to the handle 3, thereby removing all danger resultant from the backward action of theengine during thetime the engine is being operated upon to be started or what is commonly known cranked For the purpose of holding the releasing pawl 15, and the key pawl 16 in proper re lationship with reference to the housin or ring 23 and the disks 20 and 21, the p ates 29 and 30 are provided, which plates are spaced apart and held in proper spaced relationship with reference to "each other by the shouldered, rivets 31 or their equivalents.

The plates 29,and 30 constitute what might be termed a cage g which, 'islocated concentrically with the ring or casing 23 and the disks 20 and 21, said cage shown locatedin proper relationship in Figs. 8 and 9.

For the purpose of preventing any acci-v dental displacement of the key pawl 16 when the rib 17 is brought intoengagement with the proper grooves '18 and 19, the

that it will be engaged by one of the ratchet teeth '24, the spring 34 is provided which spring is connected in substantially t e same manner as the sprin 32, said spring also actin to hold the refizasing pawl so that it will e in position at all times to be rocked by any backward-movement of the ring or housing 23. For the purpose of bringing the rooves 18 and 19 into proper alinement so tiat the rib 17 can be forced intosaid grooves to rotatably lock the disks 20 and 21 together the plate 30 is provided with the ratchet teeth 35, which ratchet teeth engage the catch-pin 36, which catch-pin 1s slidablymounted in the disk 20, and is normally held in extended position by means of the spring 37.. s It will be understood that a backward movement of the crank shaft 9 will impart a backward movement of the disk 20 and when any set of grooves 18 and 19 come in proper alinement the key 17 will be forced into the position illustrated in F ig.

9 and when a forward movement is given I to the crank shaft 9 after it has been properly .coupled up to the engine shaft 2 by means of the hollow shaft6 and the various 7 parts the. catch pin 36 will ride over the ratchet teeth 35 by reason of the beveled end 38 of the catch pin .36 riding upon the an end movement toward the engine shaft 2.

For the purpose of imparting an end movementto-the shaft 6 at the same time an end movement is imparted to the crank shaft 9 a collar 39 ,is provided, which collar is fixed to the crank shaft- 9 in anyconvenient and well known manner and acts to force all of the parts carried by the hollow shaft 6 and the shaft 9 endwise.

It will be understood that the gear wheels 11 and 13 should be formed of sufficient width that the wheels meshing with said ear wheel's will-not be thrown out of mesh y the. reciprocating movement of the crank shaft. 9, and thevhollow shaft 6. For the purpose of automatically forcing the hollow sliaftfiendwiseafter the engine proper has been started the spring is providechwhich spring has; atendency to normallyhold the hollow. shaft 6 and'the crank shafftfi in their outermost position or more specifically away from the engine shaft'2. It will be understood that by reason of the various gear wheels 10, 11, 13 .and 14 the hollowshaftjfi will rotate at a greater speed than the crank shaft 9 and consequently the wheel 22 and its integral and attached ring 23 will also rotate faster by w reason-of the wheel 29 being fixed to'the hollow shaft 6, so that after-"the crank shaft 9 is rotated the ratchet teeth will ride over or pass over the -releasing pawl '15,

owing to the fact'tliat thedifi'erential r0- taiy; 'movementlasf bettve'env the cage made upof theldisks 30 and 31 and theratchet toothed ring 23; For the purpose or; proheating the various deyic'es or morc'specifit c'al lyl making apropencover for the-same the "casing .or-- l 1ousing'f;41- is provided; which maybe attached to t'he'frame 1, in any con-' venient and well known, manner.

Having fiilly described my invention what I c aim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, iS -Z- 1. In an explosive engine cranking'device, the-combination of a suitable frame, a hollow shaft-'journaled in'said frame, a crank shaft j'ournaled in, said frame, said crank shaft'extended into the hollow shaft, a wheel loosely mounted iipon the crank shaft and a ar wheel fixed to the hollow shaft, gear wliizels adapted to mesh with the ear wheel loosely mounted upon the crank s iaft and-the gear wheel fixedly mounted upon the hollow shaft, a disk provided with a rin ,said .ring providedwith' ratchet teeth, sai disk fixed to'and rotatable with the hollow shaft, a cage located concentrically with the ring provided with the ratchet teeth,. saidcage provided with pawls, one

v615 of said pawls adapted for engagement'with the ratchet teeth, disks provided with grooves, one of said .disks loosely mounted upon the crank shaft and fixed to the gear loosely mounted [1)011 the crank shaft and the other disk fixedly mounted, to the crank shaft and one of the 'Pil-Wls carried by the cage adapted for engagement with the disks, said crank shaft and hollow shaft slidably n1ounted in'the fiaime, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an cxplositc engine cranking device, the combination of a frame, a hollow shaft and a crank shaft telescopically connected together and rotatably and slidablymountcd in the frame, clutch mechanism adapted to ,rota tably couple the hollow' shaft to the engine shaft, said hollow shaft provided with a fixed gear wheel and a wheel having internal ratchet teeth, a gear wheel loosely mounted upon .the crank shaft and gear wheels located intermediate the gear wheel fixed to the hollow shaft, and the loosely mounted gear wheel upon thecrank shaft, a gmoved disk fixed to and rotatable with the loosely mounted gear wheel upon the crank shaft, a disk fixedly mounted to saidrrank shaft, said -disks provided with grooves upon the peripheries, said .groo ues adapted for alinement, a rage loosely mounted concentric with the crank shaft, a-

key pawl carried by Said cage and adapted fmnengagementwith the grooves in tht disks and ageleasmg pawl adapted for'en gagement with thc ratchet teeth. of the wheel fixed to vand rotatable with the ho] low shaft, substantially as and for the purposespecified. I

T In an explosive engine, cranking shaft,- the'combinati'on of a frame, a hollow shaft and' acrank shaft telescopically connect--, ed together and rotatahly and slid-ably mounted in thefra ne, clutch mechanism adapted to rotatably couple the hollowshaft -to an engine shaft,.said hollow shaft provided with a fixed gear wheel anda wheel having internal ratchet teeth, a gear 'wheel loosely mounted upon, the crank shaft and gear wheels located intermediate the gear wheels fixed to the hollow shaft, and the loosely mounted gearwheel upon thecrank shaft, a-groovecf disk rotatable with the loosely mounted gear wheel upon the-crank shaft, :1 grooved disk fixedly mounted to said crank shaft, s aiddisks provided with grooves upon their peripheries, said grooves adapted for alinement, a cage provided with internal teeth, pawls carried by said cage, one of said pawls adapted for engagement with the disks provided with the grooves and the other pawl adapted forengagement and rotatable with the hollow shaft and a spring adapted to normally hold the key pawl in engagement with the alined grooves of the disk and a releasing pawl carried by with the'ratchet teeth of the wheel fixed to the disk fixed to the crank shaft, said releasing pawl adapted for engagement with the teeth of the cage, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

a. In an explosive enginecrankingdevice, the combination of a frame, shafts rotatably and slidably mounted in the frame, one of said shafts provided with aicrank, an engine shaft, and one of the sliding shafts adapted to be coupled to the engine shaft, means for imparting differential rotary movement between the crankshaftand the-shaft adapted to be coupled to the engine shaft, a cage, said cage made up of spaced plates, one of the plates provided with inward extending teeth, a releasing pawl and a key pawl carried by said cage and rotatable therewith, notched disks, one on the crank shaft and one connected to the means for imparting differential rotary movement, located side by side and concentric with the crank shaft, said notched disks adapted to receive the key of the key pawl and means for. holding the key pawl in engagement with the notches of the notched disks, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In an explosive engine cranking device, the combination of a frame, shafts rotatably and slidably mounted inthe frame, one of said shafts adapted 'to be coupled to an engine shaft and the other shaft provided with a crank, a gear wheel loosely mounted upon the shaft provided with a crank, a gear wheel fixed to the shaft adapted to be cou- -pled to the engine shaft and gear wheels 10- cated intermediate the aforesaid gear wheels, a disk rotatable with the gear wheel loosely mounted upon the crank shaft, a disk fixed to and rotatable with the crank shaft, said 40 disks provided with grooves located upon their peripheries, a .wheel fixed to the crank shaft adapted to be connected to the engine shaft, said wheel provided with a lateral ring, the inner periphery of which is provided with ratchet teeth, a cage located concentrically with the disks provided with the groove and the ring provided with ratchet teeth, said cage provided with releasing and key pawls respectively, said key pawl adapted to rotatably couple the loosely mounted and fixedly mounted disks together and the releasing pawl adapted to disconnect the disks by a backward movement of the ring provided with the ratchet teeth, Eubstantially as and for the purpose speci- 'ed. 7 t

' 6. In an explosive engine cranking device, the combination of a frame, shafts rotatably and slidably 1mounted in the frame, one of said shafts adapted. to be coupled to an engine shaft and the other shaft provided with a crank, a gear wheel loosely mounted upon the shaft provided with the crank, a disk rotatable with said gear wheel loosely mount- 'ed upon the crank shaft, a disk fixed to andadapted to be connected to the engine shaft,

said wheel. provided with a. lateral ring, the

inner periphery of which is provided with ratchet teeth, a cage located concentrically with the disks provided with the groove and the ring provided with the ratchet 't'eetln said' cage provided with a releasing and key pawl respectively, said key pawl adapted to rotatably couple the loosely mounted and rotatable with the crankshaft, said disk fixedly mounted disks together and the releasing pawl adapted to disconnectthe disks by a backward movement of the ring provided with the ratchet teeth, and gear wheels adapted to impart differential rotary movement, as between the crank shaft and the shaftadapted to be connected to the engine, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In an explosive engine cranking device,

the combination of a frame, shafts rotatably and slidably mounted in the frame, one of said shafts adapted to be coupled to the engine shaft and the other shaft provided with a crank, a gear wheelloosely mounted upon the crank shaft and a gear wheel fixedly mounted upon the other slidable shaft and rotatable therewith, a shaft provided with two gear wheels fixedly mounted upon said shaft, said gear wheels adapted to mesh with the aforesaid gear wheels upon'the slidable shafts, a disk fixedly mounted upon the crank shaft, and means for rotatably connecting said disk with said loosely mounted gear wheel upon the crank shaft, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. I11 an explosive engine crankingdevice,

the combination of a frame, shafts rotatably and slidably mounted in the frame, the shaft adapted to be coupled to the engine shaft provided with a wheel having internal ratchet teeth, a cage located concentrically with the wheel provided with the internal ratchet teeth, said cage consisting of plates held in proper spaced parallel relationship, one of said plates provided with internal ratchet teeth, a disk fixed to one of the shafts journaled in the frame, said disk provided with a pin adapted for contact with the;

ratchet teeth formed in one of the cage plates and adapted to rotate said cage in one direction, a gear wheel loosely mounted upon the crank shaft, a disk'rotatable with the gear wheel loosely mounted upon the crank shaft, means for rotatablycoupling the disks together and means for uncoupling said disks bythe backward movement of the shaft coupled to the engine shaft and means for imparting differential rotary movement between the crank and the shaft connected to the engine, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. In an explosive engine cranking de-.

provided with a crank, a gear wheel loosely mounted .upon said crank shaft, a gear Wheel fixed to the shaft adapted to be.

coupled to the engine shaft, a shaft spaced from the slidably mounted shafts and provided with gear wheels, adapted to mesh with the gear wheels located upon the crank shaft and the engine coupling shaft respectively, a wheel provided with internal ratchet teeth located concentric with the crank shaft, a cage located concentrically with the wheel. provided with the ratchetteeth, disks located concentrically with the cage, one disk fixed to the crank shaft and the other loosely mounted thereon and fixed to the loosely mounted gear wheel located upon the crank shaft, pawls carried by the cage, one of the pawls adapted to rotatably lock the aforesaid disks together and the other pawl adapted to release the engaging pawl and said disks bythe backward movement of the wheel provlded with the internal ratchet teeth, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I clainI'the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. BEST.

Witnesses:

F. W. Bonn, JACOB I'IAMMEL.

.Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

